Experimental Sounding Rocket Association

Founded in 2003 as a non-profit, ESRA seeks to further the field of experimental sounding rocketry.

Who We Are:

The Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2003 for the purpose of fostering and promoting engineering knowledge and experience in the field of rocketry. ESRA's current focus is in the field of experimental sounding rocketry, which we define as roughly between "experimental" or "research" high-power rockets and sounding rockets capable of reaching space (generally defined as 100 km altitude).

What We Do:

ESRA hosts an Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) for teams from across the USA and around the world. With a payload size of 8.8 pounds and target altitudes of either 10,000 or 30,000 ft. above ground level, competing rockets are typically 4 to 8 inches in diameter and 8 to 20 ft. long. Multistage rockets and all chemical propulsion types (solid, liquid, and hybrid) are allowed. For infomationon on the IREC, please visit the What is IREC? page.

The IREC has been in annual occurrence since 2006. The competition achieved international status in 2011 – when schools from Canada and Brazil joined – and has doubled in size every year since 2013. More than 600 students participated in the 2016 competition, representing over 50 schools from 6 different continents.